The Other Side

Slowly he sat up and looked around. The apartment seemed normal. He had a dull pain in his head, but it wasn't strong enough to be disabling. He got up and put on some clothes as he tried to remember what had happened the night before. He went into the bathroom and stared at his own reflection.

It was then that he noticed the torn shirt and pants on his bathroom floor.

Memories of the night before rushed back as he examined the clothes. "It wasn't a dream, then," he realized. "Werewolves eat Massachusetts - I am a werewolf."

'No," the voice from the night before spoke. "You're not a wolf."

"What?" Paul asked. He stood up and looked around. "Who's there?"

'Relax, I'm a friend," the voice told him. 'I'm trying to 'elp you.'

"How?"

'Just giving moral support, ' the voice replied. ' I won't tell you who you are, and I won't be able to 'elp you forever, but I want to 'elp you with this "were-wolf thing.'

"Okay well if you're not here, then where are you?"

'Actually not too far from you,' the voice answered. 'About three or four towns away from you, I think.'

"Three or four towns away??" Paul asked. "Then how are you talking to me?"

'It's called telepathy, ' the voice replied patiently. ' But that's not important right now. You're a were-animal, actually. A were-dog.'

"Huh?" The voice heaved an audible sigh. 'Instead of turning into a wolf, you turn into a dog,' it explained. 'And you should be able to control it in someway. '

"How?"

' I don't know, you never explained that. I think it might have something to do with your other ability to regulate pain.'

"Okay, now you've lost me," Paul admitted.

'I can't help you any more than I already have. Just remember what I told you and don't fight the pain. ' the voice told him. Then it was gone.

"Wait - come back! Tell me more!" Paul pleaded, but the voice didn't return.

Paul sighed. "Okay so I turn into a dog," he said to himself as he turned back to the mirror. He stared at himself for a moment. "That settles it. I can't stay here anymore. Come tomorrow I'm setting out."

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